Minibars - the Guest Experience Dinosaur

Minibars aren’t dead; they’ve just evolved to keep pace with the times. For years, media reports have speculated that minibars are on the verge of extinction. Many properties have, in fact, eliminated them.

From management’s side, minibars are considered labour-intensive, costly to maintain, and one of the most frequently contested charge. Consumers complain about having to pay inflated prices for water, beer, miniatures, and substandard snacks.

But minibars aren’t quite dead. Properties are redesigning minibar cabinetry, sometimes making them a focal point in guestrooms, and are creating new menus and experiences that add healthy and indulgent treats and products, often locally sourced and sustainable.

Curated Innovation Drives Uplift in Guest Experience

A pandemic, increased awareness for sustainability following COP26, and a rapid increase in dietary requirements, demands the mini bar and guest wellness experience needs innovation. A study of 14,000 people across seven countries by market researchers TNS Global shows that 95% say protecting the environment is important to them personally and within the UK, 58% of people would want to stay in properties committed to sustainable practices.

Furthermore, travelling whilst maintaining or enhancing personal well-being is growing twice as fast as global tourism. What’s even more compelling is “wellness tourists” spend 50-180 percent more per trip than the average tourist. This means it’s now more important than ever for the hospitality industry to understand and embrace what wellness means to consumers of their brands as guests increasingly look to hotels to serve as their homes away from home.

Enter Healthy Nibbles; a driving force behind some of the most innovative wellness focused guest experiences; providing designed solutions that take into consideration the increase in travellers who take care of their health and wellness.

A BCorp certified company, Healthy Nibbles curates bespoke experiences from over 1200 products selections, making considered choices from a selection of healthy snacks and drinks, locally sourced indulgent treats, pillow mists, pulse point scents and motivational touchpoints.

To be considered for selection, Healthy Nibbles first makes sure brands are healthy for both people and the planet. We have a number of non-negotiable ingredients ranging from trans fats, unnecessary sugars, artificial additives, colours or preservatives and palm oil, whilst ensuring the diversity and value of our supply chain (60% of our brands were built by minority founders).

Working with aromatherapy specialists creating a unique wellbeing ritual, enables guests to use the power and sense of smell as a tool to direct their thoughts, emotions and actions bringing about a greater sense of wellbeing.

?What’s Good for Your Guests Should Be Good for Your Colleagues

What is most compelling about the shift of mindset is that it is people-focused and designed to address the well-being of all stakeholders from guests, customers, colleagues, and owners. As a result, the philosophy of wellbeing, and how we realise it through wellness-related offerings, should be designed to do the same.

For example, in an industry that’s designed to run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, there aren’t enough moments to say thanks. Expressing gratitude to your colleagues both for a job well done and for their dedication, just as you’d tell a guest how much you appreciate them for staying with you, is equally important and impactful to their personal well-being.

Providing healthier break-room options not only supports their overall wellbeing but demonstrates the power of healthy eating on energy levels and increases overall productivity by up to 66%.

The road to wellbeing in the hospitality sector will see hotel brands reach different destinations and results, but the collective effort stands to build a more progressive, thoughtful approach to hospitality for both colleagues and guests. After all, as a hotelier your ultimate calling is the care and service of others.